unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (09/03/89)
producer States, formulation of measures to minimize problems/difficulties of
those States and background requirement, necessary data and information.
The report said new conclusions could be added to the list covering the
following topics; bilateral trade in copper, nickel, cobalt and manganese,
including barter trade in those metals; commodity agreements or commodity
associations related to the four metals; projection of future
supply-demand-price of the four metals; supplementary and updated information
on existing international and multilateral economic measures which could be of
relevance in alleviating the problems of the developing land-based producer
States and updated information on various aspects of the four metals on a
country-by-country basis, including responses to a second note verbale being
transmitted to States.
Special Commission 2 Report (The Enterprise)
LENNOX BALLAH (Trinidad and Tobago), Chairman of the Special Commission
on the sea-bed mining Enterprise, Special Commission 2, said that, during the
session, the Commission had completed an article-by-article reading of a
working paper relating to the structure and organization of the Enterprise,
concentrating primarily on the identification of those provisions of the
Convention which called for annotations of various kinds (document
LOS/PCN/SCN.2/WP.16). Annotations would serve several purposes such as
allowing the Preparatory Commission to comment on provisions of the Convention
in the interests of promoting reasonable interpretation and also to suggest
additional draft rules on matters such as the confidentiality requirement, on
which the Convention had no rule specific to the Enterprise.
The Commission had approved a paper on draft principles, policies,
guidelines and procedures for a Preparatory Commission training programme
(document LOS/PCN/SCN.2/L.6), later also approved by the Plenary on 31 August.
Special Commission2, which is charged with preparing for the operation of
the Enterprise, also discussed the question of how to achieve the desired
degree of autonomy for the Enterprise from organs of the Authority. It
considered instances in which the Council, and the Assembly, on some matters,
would exercise a significant degree of control. Discussion also centred on
harmonization with Special Commission 3 -- which is drawing up a mining code
for the deep sea-bed -- on transfer of technology provisions relating to the
powers of the Governing Board; and with the informal plenary, on the rights,
privileges and immunities of the Enterprise at the seat of the Authority.
The Chairman's Advisory Group on Assumptions had examined current metal
price movement, long-term projections and the establishment of a new set of
assumptions. Data received from the expert of Australia and the Secretariat
had shown that prices for nickel, copper and manganese had continued to rise,
as much as two fold over prices in the sea-bed mining model submitted earlier
by Australia. After updating the metal prices in that model, the Australian
Bureau of Mineral Resources had again come to the conclusion that deep sea-bed
mining was not yet economically viable. It was speculated whether, if the
recent upward trend in metal prices were to continue, the aggregate metal
price would reach a level at which sea-bed mining might be feasible with the
current set of assumptions. At the same time, however, it was recognized that
the long-term trend projections for the metal prices remain essentially the
same.
In the absence of any substantial developments in sea-bed mining
technology, the Group was unable, at present, to change the set of assumptions
used in its model. The Secretariat was in the process of creating the
necessary facilities for the establishment of a data bank to aid in the
Group's work. The Group would continue to monitor metal price movements,
long-term projections nad technological developments relating to sea-bed
mining.
The Chairman said that at its next session, Special Commission 2 would
take up implementation of the training programme; discuss "transitional
arrangements" for the Enterprise; and continue its consideration of
exploration. He said that in the event of his inability to attend the next
session, arrangements had been made for any one of the three Vice-Chairmen of
the Commission --Senegal, Yugoslavia and Canada, in that order -- to take over
the chairmanship in an acting capacity.
Special Commission 3 Report (Mining Code)
The Chairman of the Special Commission 3 on the mining code, JAAP WALKATE
(Netherlands), said the Commission had made "good progress" in its work by
completing a preliminary first reading of draft regulations on production
authorizations (document LOS/PCN/SCN.3/WP.6/Add.1). According to his report,
delegations had been able to identify their positions on the issue of a
production policy in general and the instrument of production limitation by
means of a production ceiling as contained in the relevant article of the
Convention (article 151).
A seminar on issues relating to production policies with regard to the
resources of the international sea-bed Area, such as the concerns of producers
* Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501)
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